The case of internally displaced Anglophones in Cameroon

The conflict in Cameroon Anglophone regions started in 2016 with the strikes of teachers and lawyers about poor working conditions. The government’s response was repression in the form of banning the strikes and indiscriminate arrests and beatings. These made the people angrier and more people (the general population) joined the protests leading to more violence and villagers turning to fighters. 

In the beginning, Anglophones living in these regions protected themselves by running into the bush but maintaining contact with their homes. As time went by, and the problem escalated to what is now known as the Anglophone problem, the following consequences could be observed: homes burnt down, people kidnapped and murdered and a rise in the insecurity level. These forced people to flee from their communities and villages to bigger cities like Yaoundé and Douala. Here, they were hosted by relatives and friends or had to fend for themselves.

This study will therefore seek to locate the internally displaced people (IDP) in Douala and Yaoundé and identify the challenges (health and otherwise) that they are facing and uncover coping strategies in facing their realities in order to contribute towards health promotion strategies to improve their wellbeing.